Visitor Information Selva Verde

Costa Rica Travel

 

Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions about Selva Verde. Naturally, feel free to contact us if you have any other questions!

How do I get to Selva Verde?

Please find maps and directions here.

 

What is there to do in the area?

Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve offers you a wide range of activities . Our location also gives you easy access to several national parks, research stations, privately operated reserves, and a variety of fun day trips.

 TRAIL SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Do the rooms have hot water?

Rain or shine our solar panels provide hot water.

 

Do the rooms have air conditioning?

Our newly renovated Bungalow rooms are now equipped with A/C and are the only rooms with this amenity. All of our other River Lodge rooms offer ceiling fans and wrap around screens in each room providing ample ventilation and a comfortable rainforest experience.

 

Do you offer laundry service?

Yes, we are pleased to offer laundry services to our guests. The cost, with a 24 hour notice, is $3+tax per pound of laundry. Laundry bags are provided in each room for your convenience.

 

Does the lodge offer Internet access to guests?

Yes, on a limited basis. The speed is adequate but there can be times when it is not reliable. Currently there is one computer available for guest use in the TV/Computer room near the front desk and reservations office. Please ask the front desk for assistance.

 

Is bottled water available for purchase?

Yes, bottled water may be purchased at the Selvita Bar or personal water bottles may be filled at designated refill stations on lodge grounds.

 

Is drinking water provided?

Yes, purified water dispensers with hot and cold water are available in various locations around the lodge.

 

What is the weather like in Costa Rica?

All year! Expect more rainfall during afternoon showers from mid-March to early-November and drier conditions from mid-November to late-February. Temperatures remain in the mid-80s to 90s during most of the year.

 

When is the best time to visit?

Read about Costa Rican weather and other country information here.

 

Can you help me make other travel arrangements?

Absolutely! Our reservations agents are skilled at customizing your travel adventure throughout COSTA RICA and many OTHER LATIN AMERICAN DESTINATIONS.

 

Do you offer non-smoking rooms?

All rooms at Selva Verde Lodge are non-smoking.

 

Is there a conference room available for groups?

Yes, we have a conference room that accommodates 40 people comfortably. Please ask your reservations specialist to reserve a room for your group.

 

Can I book my room without meals?

Yes, when making reservations, specify your meal request.

 

Do you offer vegetarian meals?

Yes. Please mention your meal requests when making lodge reservations.

 

Are there discounted rates for children?

Yes, we are family friendly! Please visit this page for details.

 

What form of payment do you accept?

When making reservations for lodging, we accept MasterCard and VISA. During your stay, VISA, MasterCard and Cash are accepted at the lodge.

 

How do I make an international phone call?

We have telephones in each room and a phone system which allows for credit card or calling card calls at specified rates. Additionally, pre-paid international calling cards, which may be purchased at established businesses throughout Costa Rica can be used at reception.

 

Do you offer group discounts?

Yes, we are happy to offer discounts to groups based on size and travel dates. Please speak with our reservation agents for more details.

 

Do you offer commission to travel agents?

Yes, please speak with our reservation agents about qualifying for agency commission.

 

What time is check in / check out?

Check in: 2:00 PM
Check out: 12:00 PM - noon

 

Naturalist Guides

our Resident Experts at selva verde

 

We are very fortunate at Selva Verde to have excellent naturalist guides, who share their knowledge and appreciation of the flora and fauna of the rainforest with our guests to provide a true connection with Costa Rican nature and culture. We would like to present our local resident naturalists Fabiola and Randy.

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Carlos Alcócer MendozaCarlos Alcócer

My name is Carlos Alcócer Mendoza, i am from Guanacaste North Pacific of Costa Rica, I have been living in Sarapiquí for 20 years with my family, in La Guaria de Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, I am a curious person, lover of outdoor activities, I love to walk the trails in the middle of the forest, swim in the river and discover what is there; thanks for the help of my mother who is a teacher, I learned about history, general and local geography of Costa Rica, from a very young age. I decided to study tourism at the end of high school at Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA), where I would later became a tour guide, I have been working as an independent guide for 5 years now, always eager to learn something new in the forest so I can share it with everyone around, I look forward to learn much more about Costa Rica and its beautiful places, I aspire to travel all over the country. I am a local guide in this beautiful place called rainforest and for me it will be a pleasure to be part of your trip in Costa Rica as your local guide in this wonderful place full of adventures to discover.

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Testimonials

Costa Rica Adventure Vacation

 

Thank-you to our guests for sharing your memories with us! For those of you new to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, read below to see what past guests and publications have had to say about us. Also, check out our Guestbook and on Trip Advisor entries for more great info on Selva Verde.

We love hearing from you, and invite you to tell us about your visit, either through e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or on our Guestbook.

 

Feedback From Past Guests

"Selva Verde is a wonderful place - beautiful, nice people, good food, and great birding!"
April 2004, Phil & Anne Lewie

 

 

 

 

"Selva Verde was the best place we visited… We saw a lot of birds, including a hummingbird with two babies sitting on a nest right next to the stairs leading to the dining room. We also saw iguanas, lizards, howler monkeys, and my favorite - a sloth. We enjoyed walking around the adjacent area and on the trails surrounded by beautiful tropical flowers."
May 2004, John & Betty Anderson

 

"We enjoyed Selva Verde immensely. Graciano was a superb host to us - thank you!"
May 2003, Eva Niedzielski

 

 

 

 

"After 4 days here, we now consider Selva Verde our second home! Gilbert, Sadi, Alex, Graciano…all are the most excellent staff imaginable. We look forward to our return next year; maybe we can sign on to teach at the learning center (Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center)!"
May 2003 Brian & Bernadette Gamboa

 

"What a wonderful place to celebrate nature in all its glory!"
April 2004, Yoam Lindgram

 

 

 

 

"The rooms were well prepared and modest for the rainforest setting. Staff and guides were very attentive and friendly. The guides were very knowledgeable and eager to teach us about the rainforest and birds."
January 2004, The Gopal Family

 

"We very much enjoyed our stay at Selva Verde. The facility is beautifully laid out and the staff was courteous and helpful."
April 2003, The Ingram Family

 

 

 

 

"Thanks for your efforts in creating the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center and forest reserve. Costa Rica is no ordinary country and Holbrook is no ordinary company! We didn't want to leave…"

January 2004, Catron Family

 

"The guide, Giovanni, who led the morning bird walk was excellent!"
December 2003, Tracy Nagakura & Randy Hassom

 

"The river rafting level was suitable for our grandchildren ages 6, 7, and 9. We saw the best wildlife on the river!"
August 2003, Robert & Barbara Hauptfuhrer

 

 

 

 

"Our guide, Alexander was wonderful and really knows his birds, amphibians, and reptiles! We had a great time during our hikes with him."
March 2004, McLuckie Family

 

"We would go back to Selva Verde in a heartbeat! Beautiful grounds, helpful front desk staff, awesome food!"
January 2004, The Williams Family

 

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Excerpts From Travel Guides

"This private reserve protects 475 acres of lowland rainforest…Miles of trails and boardwalks penetrate the dark forests, where snakes and poison-arrow frogs abound. Bird cries explode like gunshots in the murkey stillness. Blue-and-gold Tanagers, jacamars, motmots, parrots, and toucans are numerous. Selva Verde also offers canoe and horseback trips, plus elegantly simple accommodations."
National Geographic Traveler Costa Rica, 2003

 

"Selva Verde Lodge is a complex of covered walkways leading to a riverside dining room, and open, airy lounging area with hammocks and a conference room. Its comfortable cabins are raised on pillars to jungle (and bird's nest) level. Selva Verde's owners, long concerned with the well-being of the local community, have established the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, with the only library in the area, a day-care center, and English and environmental education classes."
The New Key to Costa Rica, 2002

 

"Well over half of Selva Verde's approximately 200 hectares are forested; the rest contain the lodge buildings on attractively landscaped grounds. The main lodge (the River Lodge) has 40 rustic but comfortable double rooms with private hot showers. Large communal verandahs have hammocks and forest views."
Lonely Planet, Costa Rica, 2002

 

"These are without a doubt, the nicest rooms in the area. They are connected by covered walkways that keep you dry even though this area receives more than 150 inches of rain each year. Meals are served buffet-style in a lovely large, dining room that overlooks the river; they are well prepared and filling."
Frommer's Costa Rica 2002

 

"Selva Verde ... the Botanical and Butterfly Garden is a delightful resting spot after a long hike."
Traveler's Costa Rica Companion, 2001

 

"One of the premier rainforest lodges in Costa Rica, if not the Americas ..."
The Rough Guide, 1999

 

Selva Verde has received a Green Rating from the New Key to Costa Rica for its commitment to environmental education and community support.

 

A Conservation Pioneer

ECO TOURISM AT SELVA VERDE

At the time Giovanna Holbrook purchased the property that would become Selva Verde, land use in the Sarapiquí region was already experiencing intense competition between mostly large monoculture plantations such as banana and later pineapple, small farms, and ecotourism. Through the establishment of Selva Verde Lodge,300+ acres of primary rainforest and 200+ acres of secondary rainforests are intact and thriving. Your visit to Selva Verde contributes to the ongoing conservation of this rainforest sanctuary and to the sustainable development of the region!  

 

Green & Black Poison Dart Frog, endrobates auratus, Selva Verde Lodge, PRESERVING PATHWAYS FOR WILDLIFE

Selva Verde’s conservation mission gained new purpose with the establishment of the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor. Through this initiative, Selva Verde became part of a much larger conservation initiative linking natural areas from Mexico to Panama as part of the Meso-American Biological Corridor. Selva Verde's 475 acres of rainforest provides critical habitat for rainforest wildlife – but it is not enough. We are actively working with our neighbors to connect Selva Verde to other rainforest reserves in the region. 

 

Summer tanager, Piranga rubra founding of the SARAPIQUÍ CONSERVATION LEARNING CENTER (SCLC)

To further the conservation of the region, Selva Verde founded the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center (SCLC) in 1993. Together with the vision of Giovanna Holbrook and Bertha Carter, Selva Verde's first manager, the SCLC established links to communities for conservation through community development and rural tourism. The SCLC is now a fully independent nonprofit working to achieve a sustainable future for the people and wildlife of the region.

Selva Verde’s status as a Conservation Pioneer can be seen in many ways. First and foremost is the fact the business supports a Private Reserve that is part of the National Registry of Private Reserves in Costa Rica. Additionally, its role in the establishment and on-going support of the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center, a non-profit organization focused on connecting communities with conservation through community development and community rural tourism. Finally, Selva Verde is part of the local committee of the San Juan La Selva Biological Corridor.